Kankakee, IL: IC Coaling Tower, Roundhouse, and Railyard

Kankakee Railroad Museum

Unlike concrete towers, the only way we are going to see photos of wood coaling towers is to find historic photos. I noticed the two chutes on the side. Since they are of the same length, only one could be used at a time. (I doubt the IC ran with two tenders.) My theory is that with wood towers, they could not make one single huge bin so if a bin became empty, they would switch to the other chute.

The IC yard complex was a little north of the junction with the NYC (Kankakee Belt). I added a red rectangle around the tower and its shadow. (Once again, the shadow is more informative than the object itself.)
I included the building in the upper-left corner because I see on a satellite image that it is still standing. I'm going to have to revisit Kankakee and check out that building. The match to the museum photo is good enough that I'm confident the photo is IC and not one of the NYC towers.

1939 Aerial Photo from ILHAP

A remnant of the arc of the roundhouse wall is still visible in a satellite image.

Satellite

Illinois Central Railroad Scrapbook posted
This print isn't the best quality, for it apparently was printed using a badly damaged copy negative. Still, I think fans around Chicagoland will enjoy this view of the IC's turntable, coaling tower, and the power house at IC's shops in Kankakee, IL. This photo was taken June 13, 1918 by an unknown company photographer. IC photo, Cliff Downey coll.
Paul Jevert shared
Kankakee Engine service & TT  (1918)

 

Richard Fiedler posted

Dennis DeBruler: Since Big Four shared IC's track from Kankakee to Chicago, it makes sense that they shared the engine servicing facility, https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=1605293853024684&set=a.1379444825609589

 

Tim Starr posted

A 1918 photo of the turntable being constructed with the roundhouse in the background. Another photo

Andy Zukowski posted

Wayne Pinnow: I fired the old girl about this time.

Well I dug out my old timebook it's the previous year. In 56 I was on the Bloomer with the 908.

There were a lot of tank cars in the yard when I checked out the satellite image. When I visited, there was just one cut of mixed freight. The build date for these potash cars looked like October, 2014. It is so nice to see a bunch of cars without graffiti. Potash seems to be carried in the same type of 3-bay covered hopper that carries grain.

Update: Stuart Pearson provided the following as comments to his posting. The second was after I posted a link to this page when someone asked where the roundhouse was.

Interior of the IC Roundhouse at Kankakee Mid 1950's.

Dennis DeBruler when I was there in the Mid 1950's
Coal was Loaded via a Conveyor Belt.

Illinois Central Railroad Scrapbook posted
IC 4-8-2 2507 at Kankakee, IL, Feb. 5, 1955. Between March, 1937 and Sept., 1942, a total of 56 "new" 4-8-2's, numbered 2500-2555, were built at the Paducah, KY, shops by mating old 2-10-2 boilers to new underframes. Cliff Downey collection.
Matthew Chapman: (Love the red caboose over there, btw!)
John Petit: The smokestack in the background was Kroehler Furniture.
Clarence Jackson: Two survive. 2500 in Centralia IL. And 2542 in McComb Ms.

Dennis DeBruler shared
I know the caboose is almost lost in this photo. But it shows how the caboose was an integral part of the railroad scene in its day.

Tim Starr posted
Powerhouse and storehouse under construction next to the Illinois Central roundhouse at Kankakee IL in 1917. (Lake States collection)

Ted Lemen posted seven photos with the comment:

For decades, the signal mast over the Illinois Central Railroad guarding its crossing of the old Kankakee Belt (now NS) has stood as old school evidence of how long things can last. In the last couple of weeks, material began to show up at the site in Kankakee as the installation of newer signals like that those installed in Otto some time ago.

1

2

3

4

5

6

7